Fibrillation is a medical term for describing the sequence of events wherein the rhythm of the heart muscle breaks down and muscle tissue contracts incoordinately and uncontrollably. Immediate treatment is required to control such arrhythmia and bring the heart muscle back to its normal rhythm. If the required treatment is delayed, for even seconds, the result may be failure and death of the patient.
A number of treatments are indicated to correct heart fibrillation. One such treatment is drug therapy. A more direct and faster-acting treatment is the application of very high voltages to areas of the heart muscle for short periods. The latter treatment is normally carried out employing external defibrillator apparatus. Such apparatus includes a pair of electrodes or paddles, hereinafter referred to as electrode paddles or paddles, having a flat or convex surface, which are designed to be placed in direct contact with the patient's body. Electrical impulses are then applied to the patient through the electrode paddles.
Before the electrode paddles can be applied to the patient's skin, the paddles must be covered with an electrically conductive preparation so that the bare metal forming the paddles does not directly contact the skin. If the paddles are used without a covering, or with an insufficient covering, they can produce severe burning with resulting blistering of the skin which in turn may lead to infection.
In order to overcome the afore-described problem, the paddles are usually employed in conjunction with an electrically conductive liquid, cream or gel which serves to facilitate the transfer of electrical impulses from the electrodes to the patient. The electrolyte is applied to the paddles or to the body of the patient, then the electrode paddles are pressed against the body maintaining firm contact during the operation of the defibrillator.
In applying the electrolyte to the patient's body, the electrolyte is usually dispensed from a container onto a piece of cotton which is then rubbed over the area of the patient's skin to be grounded. Alternatively, the electrolyte may be dispensed directly from a container, such as a tube or even an aerosol package, onto the paddles or the patient's skin and distributed over the desired area.
The above procedure for applying electrolyte to the patient's skin is a relatively time consuming operation when time is clearly of the essence and seconds are critical. If for some reason, the container of electrolyte is not readily available, for example, it is misplaced or empty the result could be loss of life. Further, the electrolyte, which preferably is in the form of a pasty lotion or gel, may gum-up and cause clogging of the container, especially where the cap of the container is not immediately replaced after use, preventing dispensing thereof at the needed time. Such an occurrence, could be fatal.
If an aerosol container is employed, should the aerosol valve become inoperative, which can be a frequent occurrence, the time lost in locating another source of electrolyte could mean irreparable damage to the patient. Furthermore, should an insufficient amount of such electrolyte be distributed on the patient's skin, the high voltages administered can cause severe burning of the patient, possibly ineffective treatment and loss of life.